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Previously on our Mask of the Red Death one-shot. You four have been invited to the secluded manor of Prince Prospero on the winter solstice for a grand Yule masquerade. This region has also recently been haunted by a mysterious illness known only as the Red Death. Is there anything unusual coming from the bells? What really? catches your attention is that as they tinkle that frost not only grows but a line of red shoots out towards it they're defending the home but
They're also letting us know that it's close. Yes, every time the red gets close, the bell, it rings. The coldness emanates from them and pushes it back. In an answering silver tinkling bell, a blood-curdling scream pierces the air. And through that one-way door, you see panic.
Okay, looking at where Annabelle had just pointed and... No, it's not counterintuitive. Yeah. Okay, if the bells are doing this, I want to try it at least. I would like to cast Chill Touch just on that spot to see if it causes... any sort of reaction to like the red. Okay. You, you cast it and you don't see it. The bell itself reacts to it, picking up on this chill energy. What type of damage does chill touch do? Is it necrotic or is it...
Actually, you're so right. It is necrotic. Instead, it's also still a cantrip. Can I actually do frostbite instead? Yeah. Okay. Let's retcon that, baby. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to cast frostbite on the spot that Annabelle was pointing at just to see if there's any sort of notable change. It's like this bell swallows it in and then spits it back out towards, Annabelle, you would see it spits it back out towards this tendril and pushes it away all the way towards that door and keeps it there.
So whatever this ice is, it is amplifying the bell. What has been the reaction of that fine-ass prince out there with the scream and as the chaos starts to happen? I'm glad you asked. Oh, my goodness. I'm so glad you asked. William, you kind of go. I'll say like you go right. Yeah, I think I'm as close as I can get without touching it to try and take in as much as I can. Yeah, you you you see.
a guest has crumpled to the floor and it looks like their skin is flushed, a feverish red. And craning your eyes, you see dark spots blooming along their neck and cheeks. gasps and cries sort of like ripple through this energy field here. And people in the crowd are recoiling, pressing hands to mouth in horror and standing tall above the panicked guests.
You see Prince Prospero raising a hand for silence, saying something. His voice, though muffled, seems calm, yet his face also seems unnervingly cold. Yet you can't hear what he's saying. Well, the Red Death has arrived. The prince seems... almost unfazed. I want to know what these words mean. Like, the Red Death isn't just a sickness, it's a frame of mind. Is this something that the Prince believes?
In which case does he think that he has safety from it because his frame of his mind is... ...perceiving it differently? Well, it doesn't say it is a frame of mind, it's... It says it isn't just a sickness, so it can be both. I don't know what that does for us. Okay, real quick question, as, like, Madeline is looking out at the pandemonium, and you can tell, like, the dancing with the canapé has become slightly more anxious.
And unsettled, she goes, Do we feel we stand a better chance remaining in here trying to figure this out? Or should we try to help the people out there? I think we will be safer in here. Right. I agree with this assessment. But... But... And a fine one at that. At least two. At least two. That side saddle. It'd be a real shame to see them go to waste.
In good conscience, we can't stay here and just protect ourselves while... You start to see the panic starting to whip up out there. It's escalating. is gonna step up and look at the altar, give it one good frantic but purposeful look over, see if I can decipher anything else in this room. Yeah, go for it. What would you like to roll? Kind of like, what are you doing? And you tell me what you would like to roll. Could this be our...
kind of almost to see if there's like some sort of magic ritual. That works, yeah. Look, as long as you're not like my typical players where they'll be like, I want to look through something. Can I use acrobatics? It's like, in what world are we doing that? Can I aid with this? Yeah, I want to aid as well. Please do. Everybody pile in. How would you aid? Annabelle is looking and just saying out loud to her,
New gods are born all the time because of belief. If this was a chapel, but it's been profaned in some way, maybe... Maybe he thinks he's helping it become something more. There is the smell of decay and... And death in here, it has definitely been perverted in some way. I did drop my D20s. Give me one second. It's hiding. It's like, I don't want to show you. It's too scary. You'll never know what I am. So that gives advantage, right? Yeah, that'll give you advantage.
So let me try again, because that was a 12, I believe. Oh my god, are you kidding me? That was an 8, so I'll take the 12. Is that after you've already added whatever the ability score is? Yeah, I rolled an eight on die and then a four on die. It's fine. Here's what you can see with that 12.
your light as it's hovering near you. It's casting this feeble glow almost in your panic. You're losing a little bit of that focus on it. But you see walking around the... back of this tabernacle, really, this stone table, you see faint etchings forming these strange symbols on the back. And they seem scratched hastily and half erased, leaving almost like with a sense of desperation and secrecy. And blow that on the ground.
You notice a row of empty vials with wax seals scattered like relics from... This makes no sense. These are the types of... Vials that you would see in a room that does experiments. Not praying. Not worshipping. Hmm. This is no altar. This is... A laboratory, perhaps? And there's nothing else of note in this room, right?
Not with that roll, my friend. Not with that. Now, there are other rooms you can go to. There is the pandemonium outside with a still live person writhing on the ground, clutching at their throat and face. And there is the room across the hall where Annabelle's red tendrils extended into and were stopped by these icy bells. I think with that...
Madeline can't help herself and she's going to rush out to try and aid the person clutching on the floor. As you rush out. No, no, go for it. You said there was a mirror also on the altar, correct? When I looked at it? Yes, you did. Yeah. Go ahead and look at the mirror and tell me what you would like to roll with. In the mirror. You're looking nice. Just a quick vanity check. You're looking spicy. Your mustache that I'm imagining you have is nicely waxed and curled.
To the point where even Poirot would... Just nod his assent. Yes, it's beautifully waxed. You weren't sure about the houndstooth, but now you're feeling it. Now I think it was the right choice. I rolled a dirty 20. I guess I want to see... Beautiful. Well, hang on. What do we do? What skill are we doing? Great question. Oh, sorry. Investigation. Okay. To see if I notice anything else because what I really would like to do is pick it up.
I want to see what happens. I feel like I'm at the let's see what happens phase, even though we're in the safe room. Let's see what happens. Well, is it safe, though? Yeah, I know. Okay. Yeah. You note that like some more of that red paint is bedecking the mirror in some interesting ways on the top and on the bottom. And then there is a... scratching out as well on the top and the bottom that leaves like a white film.
But you don't know what it makes right now. You're able to pick it up and look if you like. You can keep it down and look down at whatever you want to do with this mirror. Yeah, I think I sort of delicately pick it up and see if I need to. I don't know. Indiana Jones, something else on top of it. There's nothing below. Perfect. I'll just pick it up and then see if anything else happens. And of course, my eye is going to be drawn as Madeline rushes out.
To be helpful. So I'll be looking into the ballroom to see if me picking it up did anything or what happens out there. Leaning over as you pick it up slowly, you don't see anything change in the ballroom. But... You do see below it, as you pick it up, a single key. And then looking at your face in it, you see your face fits into this hand mirror. And the top of it looks...
With those scratches and the red paint, it looks like you have a red hat with a white fur trim on top. And then on the bottom... Your coat that you were wearing has now become red with a white collar. Do you have a white beard by chance? You see the beginnings of a white beard? It's like they gave up halfway. No.
The scratchings just gave up. And then, you know, looking at this, this key below it too, you see that this is the key that was like, you see it kind of blunt on some edges, like it was being used to scratch on this mirror. Interesting. That must mean that the man who's dying in the lobby is Santa Claus and he's passing it on. You've just been the Santa Claus. Madeline enters into it. She picks up the card. Or is Santa Claus...
The Red Death. Exactly. You know you're getting older when he starts looking younger. He doesn't care if you're rich or poor. He wants you just the same. He just cares if you've been naughty or nice. That's right. It's like the Futurama version. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You guys cannot see my face right now.
All right, Madeline, you rush out, you altruistic thing. I know. So you come to this and just as you like cross through that barrier, that magical barrier and come out into this room, all the noise that had been muffled becomes... clear, and you hear Prospero still shouting out, Stay your fears, good friends! He calls, his tone laced with authority. The Crimson Plague, I told you, cannot breach these walls!
My manor is a sanctuary and you are under my protection. Now, breathe deeply and let the night carry on. All is as it should be. Music, please. So as you rush to the side of this guest who has crumpled to the floor, Madeline, what would you like to do? Okay. First, as I'm rushing and I'm hearing this coming from Prospero, can I get, like, a vibe check on him? Oh, yeah. Just to see, like, if... Give me that insight. Please, friends, breathe deeply. Breathe deep. Rev and I are both like...
Just a one-off and not contagious at all. 18. Okay. Yeah, you notice that... Although he seems direct and confident, you see Madeline cracks in this confident demeanor. You see a nervous glance toward a door you hadn't noticed before. You see a subtle clenching of his jaw, a hesitation in his voice at the very end. Hmm. Okay. You see fear and anticipation.
Okay. Before resorting to anything greater, she is going to try and take him at his word and try and help this person on the ground. Okay. And she is going to... come up to this writhing person, kind of gently grab him, like, cradle his head so that it's not banging onto the floor. You see it as the lady from earlier with the shelf. carefully avoiding the shadows. No, I'm kidding. Gently cradles the large hair and will look into her eyes and she says, breathe deep. I have weathered curses.
Far more powerful than this. Believe that you can come out the other side of this. And I'm going to try and just calm her down and maybe roll a medicine check to see if I can ascertain a little better what's going on here. Because obviously something is happening. Yeah, let's do medicine first. Okay. Thirteen. You see flushed skin. You feel high fever.
You see some of the veins on her face starting to darken. And you do see that she has difficulty breathing. All of these resembling symptoms of that red death that you had heard before. Now, if you want to also try to get her to calm down, yeah, go ahead and do persuasion. Let's do it. Since you have interacted with her before, roll with advantage. Sweet. Okay, first one is a 12.
Second one is an 18. Okay. With labored breaths, she starts to try, and you see her trying her utmost to slow her breathing. I'm so sorry for ignoring you earlier before. It's alright. It's alright. You're the only one who's touching me. You're the only one who's... Try, try to help. Whatever is happening cannot hurt me. And it will not hurt you if you don't let it. It's the Red Death, isn't it? It's the damned, plastered Red Death.
And hearing her, you see some of the people who had been like giving this wide berth, like back up even more these murmurs of shock and dismay. But she goes on, like, unbeknownst, like, not even painted them, just, like, her eyes fixing on you. These eyes that are starting to become bloodshot. Can I, um...
I feel like I'm running out of time. But before I do something more drastic, I'm going to try to use Minor Illusion to make it look as if some of those pustules are like healing and closing up. To try and help calm her mind. You do that. Yeah. You do that. And while you're doing it, since you're casting near her, I invite you to do an Arcana check. Okay. Also, you're a saint. Ooh.
21. Oh, well-deserved. As you're doing that, you can still see it. You see through it because you know what to look for. But you see her kind of... sagging a bit, almost in relief at what looks like it going away. But you sense a residual trace of cursed energy. You recognize a curse for what it is, Madeline Usher. And a bit of necromantic energy lingering around her body. It looks like dark magic. Do I sense it trailing to any specific place?
No, you don't. You just kind of feel it hovering around this body. But at this point, too, no one has said that they've joined you. But I would say, like, for the rest of the three, you see Madeline rush over. You see her give a... You see... her give Prince Prospero like a good long look and then going back down to the body you cannot hear the words but you see her murmuring and bending toward this
This lady on the ground. And then she starts to almost sag and then almost pass out in relief. But that is it. What do the three of you want to do? I would like to grab one of the bells and put it in my bag and then head out to help. Okay. I think I want to go in that other room. Is it across the hall from where we are? Where it seems like the red is perfect. I would like to go see what's going on in there. Yep, I'm heading that way too.
All right, let's do a little bit at a time. So Annabelle, you make it to Madeline's side and you see that she seems to be like hovering her hands over this body. And you two feel that same necromantic energy almost because of Madeline's efforts at work and what you have seen in the previous room. You're starting to pick up on that. I invite you to do an investigation check because of that. Okay. Investigation is with... Intelligence. Five. You notice one thing. You see...
faint traces of an unfamiliar powder on her clothing. A faint red powder. And they're mostly on her frilled neckline, kind of gathering in the folds of the lace. Does it seem like it's... collecting from outside and coming in or coming off of her onto herself, if that makes sense. It doesn't seem to be coming out of her. Okay. I will point it out to Madeline and then try to heal this woman. Okay. How would you like to try to heal her?
Now, once you point it out, Madeline will kind of, like, with a sleeve, like, brush as much of it off as she can. And then, because this is only an illusion for the postules, we'll take off that large cloak that she had and wrap it around her. So that when she comes to, she is kind of covered by this cloak and will not immediately be shocked by anything she sees. I suppose I will channel divinity.
I want to see if this is something that can actually, is this something that I'm trying to help someone through or can they just, or can they actually recover from it? Okay. Yeah. And I have circle of mortality, which makes it so that I just use the highest roll on the die if they are low at health. I don't know if that applies here. Yeah, I don't have set HP for our lady that I haven't even given her a name.
That's great because I also don't have how many dice I'm supposed to roll. Okay, great. Let's say she is a... Wisteria is her name. So anyways, yeah, she seems to be... The red flush of heat that had come from the fever starts to abate. You see the shallow breaths start to deepen. And she is out cold, sleeping on this floor. And the attendant, seeing this kind of start to ease out a bit, come and like...
bundle her up and pick her up and take her off to the side on one of the divans so that she can be more comfortable than on this floor. But... As far as you can see with your channeling divinity, especially with that understanding of the divine nature of your magic, it did abate what you saw progressing in her body. Madeline will squeeze your hand and point out the door that she noticed Prospero was looking at nervously. Lean towards your ear as like they're picking up the lady.
And say, he's nervous about whatever's beyond that door. I suspect whatever afflicted her is coming from there. And we... Oh, go for it. Shall we... Take a moment to speak to the man himself or inspect that door. I say we inspect the door. She looks to you. You see her eyes set with a determination that is normally not there. And she says, Shadows be damned. I'm the one that wrote it.
If you like what you're hearing, you should actually check out my show. It's called Of Mice and Men and Monsters, where we combine classic literature like Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and many more with Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition and... of course, a lot of homebrew. So come on down and check Omamam out. And once again, that is Of Mice and Men and Monsters. Hey, I'm Carla and I am playing William Dupin.
If you like what you're hearing, you should check out my show. It's called Dungeons and Dragons. We're just big dumb idiots that make dick jokes and play D&D, but it's really fun. So if you like that, you should go to dumbdragoncast.com. You can find all the links there, and we would love it if you came and joined us.
Hi, I'm Giancarlo, and I'm playing Madeline Usher. You should check out my show, Dungeons & Drimbus, where a group of actors get together and play tabletop games and try to make each other's lives more difficult. It's a fun time, and if you want to check out our Our most recent season, Yes Chef, just wrapped up where we did a John Wick meets Hell's Kitchen style adventure, and we typically publish every Friday.
Hey, I'm Rev, and I am playing Annabelle Shore. And if you like what you hear, you should check out our show, The Crit Show, which is an actual play podcast where we play Monster of the Week and other Powered by the Apocalypse games, all within the same dimension-hopping story. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hi, I'm Emily Inkpen, and I'm playing Lenore Ravenshadow. You should check out my show, The Deck's Legacy, a dark political sci-fi adventure set on a far future planet where a weapons manufacturer uses his genetically enhanced adopted children to terrorize them. planet, while they find inventive ways to fight him at every turn. You can find Seasons 1 and 2 on all platforms, and we'll be releasing Season 3 in 2025. If you're looking for Part 4, check out The Crit Show!
Check the show notes for our one-shot lineup. The Fable and Folly Network, where fiction producers flourish. Come on, tell me more about your monster world. Right. October is one of the written worlds. Places that exist because we need them to tell stories. It might be the oldest. Because it serves one of the deepest needs. It is a world that's made of monsters. Here we go. Gargoyles, working construction, and gremlins in the machinery.
trolls and the lindworm and werecreatures in the forest, gilfolks in the rivers and kaiju beyond the mountains, the moonkin and the puka, and I know at least one skeleton by name. I'm going to stop you before the Jabberwock and the Jump Jump Bird. I get the picture. It'd sure be something if that were a place where we could actually go, wouldn't it, Caro? Yeah, it sure would be.
Waiting for October, a queer supernatural audio drama from Monkey Man Productions. Find us in all your podcast apps. The story starts this Halloween.